England all-rounder Ben Stokes to miss remaining Pakistan Test series

England vice-captain and their go-to man for all crisis situations, Ben Stokes is reported to miss the remaining of the ongoing Test series against Pakistan. As per England Cricket Board, he will be leaving for his home nation New Zealand, for family reasons. The board has requested the media and the rest of the public to respect the privacy of the family.

Ben Stokes withdraws from England squad

English all-rounder Ben Stokes who played a pivotal role in the recently concluded home Test series against West Indies has decided to withdraw from the England squad for the remaining of the two-Test matches against Pakistan at the Ageas Bowl on Thursday, August 13 and Friday, August 21.

Official Statement: Ben Stokes

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 9, 2020

Stokes, who had been in the form of his life over the last couple of years informed his teammates about his unavailability for the rest of the series after the conclusion of the first Test against Pakistan in Manchester. Even though he failed to deliver in the first Test match, his absence will come in as a huge setback for the England team considering the tremendous abilities that he possesses in the game.

Ben Stokes will fly to New Zealand  

Even though the exact reason for his withdrawal from the squad is not specified, it is believed that he is flying to Christchurch, New Zealand to spend time with his family and to take care of his father, who was hit by a serious illness after arriving in South Africa before the last summer. He, who is a former New Zealand rugby player returned to New Zealand for his recovery.

This disturbing thought regarding the health of his father is also believed to be the reason behind his quite unusual bad performance on the field in the last Test. He shares a close bond with his family even though they are stationed In New Zealand which is quite evident from the finger salute he gave when he made a hundred in the recently concluded Test series against West Indies. It was an acknowledgment to his father, Ged who had his finger cut off to enable him to continue playing rugby during his career.

For more cricket news, click here.